Animal rights group PETA has appealed to telecom major Vodafone to not use "vulnerable pugs" in its commercials, claiming these dogs have been "deliberately bred" to have features so severely exaggerated that they cause physical suffering, just to suit a concept of 'cuteness'.
"Vodafone's advertisements have popularised the breed in India, and breeders and pet stores have cashed in on the demand, forcing mother dogs to produce litter after litter until their bodies wear out," the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India claimed in a statement.
Vodafone India's latest advertisement campaign features 30 pugs running through a village, the group said.
In a letter sent to the company on Monday, the PETA has called for an "end to the use of these and other animals in Vodafone's campaigns".
An email query sent to Vodafone India elicited no response.
The statement from the PETA said, "Pugs are genetically compromised, typically inbred, and commonly sick dogs who gasp and wheeze in India's hot climate. PETA India is calling on Vodafone to institute a responsible animal-welfare policy that keeps all live animals, including vulnerable pugs, out of its advertisements,"